Post Chistmas Chaos

Christmas day every year is generally the only time that my entire family can get together all in one place. Even so, we're always missing someone. This year it was Tyler, Kirstin (and the baby to be!) and Ma'afu and Ofa, and Randy, my aunt Heather's husband. Otherwise, though, I think all of the original 7 kids, so to speak, were there. And by that I mean my mom and her 4 sisters and 2 brothers. Out of the 13 grand kids, there were 10 of us there. And of course the spouses of everyone, which practically doubles the amount of adults, so all in all there were about...25 people at my grandmas house on Christmas day.
It is always insane.
But I absolutely love it. It's what I always look forward to.
The younger grand kids (so basically anyone who came after I did) are usually running around all over. The sisters, moms, and grandmas are in the kitchen. The men/boys are watching a basketball game in at least one room of the house. The older grand kids are intertwined within everything that's going on, just helping and/or staying out of the way.
Or, as I was doing, wrapping last minute presents that were forgotten by Grandma Suzie.

There is always a process with these things. There has to be, or else nothing would get done and it would end up being more crazy than it already is.
First, one present each for the younger kids who believe that the sole purpose of the holidays is for gifts and only gifts. Generally those 10 and under.
Second, dinner.
Third, clean up and put away food while little kids continue playing somewhere else for a good 20 minutes.
Fourth, everybody goes back to the living room, and, one by one, we start handing out the gifts that we have. Not everybody has gifts to give, but really...who cares? The little kids don't really notice because they all get enough things from grandma that they don't care from whom all the goodies come from.
And last, but not least, we break out the desserts. Cookies, peanut butter balls, Oreo balls, chocolate truffles, carrot cake, cheesecake, etc. For some reason I have become the resident cookie and peanut butter balls maker for the last couple of years...this duty was just kind of thrust upon me. I don't mind though.

After all is said and done, people start going their separate ways for different reasons; sleepy, kids need to go to bed, whatever. Who ever is left at grandma's house once the noise level has died down usually plays a game on the dining room table with everyone else who is still there too.
That's probably my favorite part of the day. When everyone is tired and happy and together in one place having a fun time.


I'm so grateful that I was born into such a big family. I don't ever want to not have a big family. It's just so much fun :]




Still waiting to hear from UW, by the way...




Song of the Day: "Happy Christmas Day" by Oliver Boyd and the Remembralls

It Will All Work Out In The End

I hate when a good book has to come to an end.
I also hate sleeping on floors, but we can't have everything, now can we?
I just finished Maureen Johnson's The Burmudez Triangle. It was good. Very good. Filled with a lot of emotions, and really great characters. I'm sad that it's over...

And in regards to the floor thing: I'm sleeping in the spare room at my grandma's house. It is filled with gifts and gift wrapping materials and has a sign on the door that reads "Santa/Grandma Suzie's Workshop", as if they are partners at a law firm.
I got to hang out with Tori and Erin today, just like old times. It was so much fun, I absolutely love those girls! Best friends in the world, for sure.

I'm nervous about Washington. Waiting for a letter is horrible.
Is it bad to say that I get a strong feeling that I didn't get in? And to be honest, I think I would be okay with it. I can always try again for Fall quarter. Look at me, being all optimistic and crap.

I have to make cookies in the morning. I am, of course, the designated Christmas cookie maker of the family. Though nobody actually told me this, I know it to secretly be true.

So good night. And later days.

Song of the Day: "Pink Bullets" by The Shins
Film of the Day: Nightmare Before Christmas (1993). THIS MOVIE IS SO CREEPY. I just watched it for the first time in about 5 years, and I've decided that it should not be for children under the age of 14. Just sayin'.

Salute Your Solution

I just saw a bunch of pictures of people I used to be good friends with...and I'm kind of glad I'm not friends with them anymore. I mean, I'm definitely glad we were friends at one point, but I think it's for the best that all of our lives ended up as they did.

Anywayyy.
Ventura tomorrow. Yahoooo!!! I'm pretty excited. Except I'm not excited for the drive there. Blehh. It's all worth it in the end.

Things I'm Stoked For In Ventura:
-Blenders. OMG. I've been craving a Peanut Butter w/ chocolate and banana for weeks now.
-Chipotle. The state of Utah has two Chipotles. They are in Salt Lake City and Bountiful. LAME.
-In N Out by the beach. It's true, one of the two In N Outs in Utah is just minutes away from me, but it's not as delicious if you can't go take it over to the pier or pierpont to eat it.
-Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf. Chai tea blended. The end.
-Warm weather. It's been less than 45 degrees here for a couple weeks now. I'm over it.

The only downside of this trip is that I wont have a car to drive since the fam is driving down together.
I'm really just glad I'm going to get to see all of my cousins though. Living near them my whole life is something I took for granted, for sure.

I have to keep packing. I always forget something. I even make detailed lists and everything...oh well. We'll see.

Later days.

Song of the day: "Bird On A Wire" by Rogue Wave
Film of the Day: Princess Bride (1987). I kept quoting this the other day.

PS - I put up that cover I sang on my youtube.

Pants.

I need pants. Kind of badly. How could I have missed this?

Side note.
Photo explanation:
I miss Weber State Theatre Department. This is a picture from the Peter Pan musical last Spring. It was one of the most successful shows at WSU, and I'm so glad that I was able to be involved in it. And also, I sat/hid back by that latter for the entirety of act II in order to hand off props to Hook and Peter. That whole set piece was on a revolving pole that I had to stick through the set and attach to the ground on the stage; it was turned around while I hid on it, that is why you can't see my in this picture.
So much fun.

I'm going to Ventura on Wednesday. The one thing I'm looking forward to the most is seeing Jacquelynn, actually. Not physically being able to hang out with her for a year has been weird. Especially after having lived the last 4 years of my life seeing her almost every single day.

I'm actually just stoked on the whole idea of going to Ventura. When I was there last I didn't get to see my Foothill friends because they were all at their random schools all over the country.
I really hope we can do another LA adventure day. That was so incredibly fun when we did it in July.
Geeze...July feels like it happened yesterday. July was Roscoe's. July was Diddy Riese and Santa Monica. July was dodgeball and colored headbands.

Freak. Time passes so much faster than we realize. It's almost scary.


My ears just popped. Thought I'd share that with the world. It's kind of a big deal since they've needed to do that for about 2 weeks now.


Project for Awesome went so well! This was my first year participating, but it was so fun! I really enjoyed myself, and I even donated a little of what I could to feedingamerica.org. It was kind of an eye opening experience. I loved it.
But now I'm so tired haha...I'm taking a day off from YouTube.

I've decided to do a cover of "Po' Lazarus" from the O Brother Where Art Thou? soundtrack. It's very simple, but I like it a lot because I get to kind of play around with my voice and sound very bluesy. Yay :]] Going back to my roots, as Alex Castillo would say.
I'll filmit soon and put it on the Tubes.

And here is where I end.
Later days.


Song of the Day: "Help I'm Alive" by Metric
Film of the Day: The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007). Such a great film for both Brad and Casey.

Apparently I'm on a first name basis with actors now.

No Time For Titles

This picture is from Tyler's 16th birthday over three years ago. Oh, time, where do you wander off to so quickly?

I can't stop coughing. My nasty tasting cough medicine isn't working either.

AND MY FREAKING KEYBOARD DOESN'T BELIEVE IN ACTUALLY TYPING THE LETTERS I PUT MY FINGERS ON. I have to keep going back through the words I've already written and fix them because half of the letters aren't even there.

I swear, my computer is whiggin' out, and I've barely had it a year! Is this my punishment for getting a PC? Yes. Yes, it is.

In other news, I only have two finals left for this semester. Nutrition and French. In other words, the ones I actually have to study for. But will I actually study for them? Probably not. In fact, my French exam is in 11 hours and I haven't touched my text book for that class since last Wednesday.

Honestly though, I don't really remember the last time I did study for a big test. I know it's not the best habit, like, at all, but I just don't study a lot.

Project For Awesome.

I am so excited for this. I've already finished my video.

If you don't know what P4A is, click on the hyperlink you just read past. Twice.

In one week from today (Wednesday the 23rd) my family and I will be truckin' across the Nevada desert to Ventura, California. SO EXCITED. I'm planning on hanging out with Jenna (my cousin) for most of the time there since I wont have a car and she definitely owes me for all the times I used to drive her around before she had her license and I wasn't even aloud to drive her yet.

Well, hello, run on sentence, I didn't see you there until just now. Nice to have you here.

Anyway, this should be an interesting Christmas. Kirstin and Ma'aafu and Ofa won't be there (Tongan names, just in case you were way confused just then) because they can't afford the tip from Hawaii :/. I have no idea if my uncle Dallan will be there...I haven't seen him for about 2 years. And of course, Tyler will be in Provo on Christmas day, to then leave for Honduras on the...28th? I think.

It's always nice to be with family for Christmas though, despite the members that may be missing.

Here's something that's been on my mind lately: PUNK IS DEAD. I hate to say it, but it's sooo true. I mean, yes, there are a few bands out there that are kind of in the underground music scene (Killola, for example) that definitely have a punk flair in their music, but truly, there are no mainstream bands that are actually punk. And Green Day is not punk, freaking idiots. They may have once been so, back in like, oh, the 90s, but no longer. Sorry. I'm talking about The Missing 23rd, The Clash, Tipper's Gore, Dead Kennedys, and Circle Jerks. Punk is one of the best lyrically based genres of music, in my opinion. Plus it's so freaking fun to dance/mosh to.

I miss going to shows at The Underground and moshing to local punk. Good times.

And later days.

Song of the Day: "Hate and War" by The Clash

Film of the Day: I actually haven't watched a lot of movies lately, which is really weird for me. How about Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs (1937), the first full length animated feature in the history of film making? Okay then.

Speaking of movies, the one's I need to see in theatres VERY soon are Invictus, Brothers, The Blind Side, and Up In The Air. And I wish I could have seen An Education, A Single Man, A Serious Man, and The Hurt Locker, but nothing awesome and/or lower budget and/or independently produced and/or mildly controversial ever plays in southern Utah.

Tough Week

I haven't posted a blog in several days. Having not done so, I feel a little out of practice.
No, not really. I lied.

Okay, so. This week has been insane and it's not even over yet.
I've just had much to do, had so many phone calls to make, and on top of it all, I have a horrible cold, so I can't taste any food, which is even worse than having the col in the first place. Am I right?
I'm not going to get into detail because that could take a while, but I have finally completed my entire application for...are you sure you're ready for this? Okay...the University of Washington. It's in Seattle. "Why Seattle?" you ask? Why not!? I've personally never actually been there actually, but it looks awesome! And I need a new adventure; this is my refresh button on life.
If I don't get in for the Spring quarter, then I'll apply again for Fall, along with Watkins College of Art, Design, and Film down in Nashville. I need to find some more back ups as well, just in case. Wherever I apply though, I want it to be in or near a bigger city, like Seattle or Nashville, though not quite as big as New York City. I'm also still thinking about schools in San Diego or LA area. We'll see...

I wont bore you with everything that I need to get done before Monday (and it's a lot of stuff, mind you). Finals week is next week.

I'm importing old CDs into Itunes that I randomly found today. I just found a Flogging Molly mixed CD. Today is good.



Song of the Day: "Drunken Lullabies" by Flogging Molly
Film of the Day: Billy Elliot (2000)

The Basement is Always Too Cold

I'm a huge cry baby when it comes to films and television. I have no. clue. why.
It just doesn't make any sense. I can break an ankle without crying, so why can I not get through an episode of Grey's Anatomy or Private Practice without the water works? And I swear, if I tear up next time I'm in a theatre I will...hmm. I didn't really have an ending for that thought when I started writing it.

Anyway, this has just been on my mind lately.



I'm worried about my grade in French. I won't lie. It's a hard class for me, and the fact that my teacher isn't good at actually teaching helps no one. He's a funny dude, but come on...he remembers when the Berlin wall went up. I have nothing against older folks (except that they should not drive if they have trouble walking, seeing, or thinking. Especially in the state of Utah), but there comes a time in every person's life where always consistent things must come to an end.



I really miss jumping, by the way. I wasn't any good at it or anything, but I loved it so much. One of my only regrets in life is that I only did it for my senior year of high school.





I really need to get something to record and mix my music with. I've been dying to share it with people, but I just don't quite know where to go with it next. What's the next step?



In other news, I'm extremely excited to go home (well, old home, since I guess Utah is technically "home" now) to Ventura for Christmas. I miss the ocean. I'm sooooo tired of mountains, mountains, mountains. Mountains are cool and all, but I've been over it since the first week I moved here.

At least give me snow. Oh, but wait, I live in one of the only places in Utah where it rarely snows. It just gets to ridiculously low temperatures.





Enough complaining.



I've been thinking about coming up with a playlist every two weeks and then putting it onto a CD and giving it to random people whom I believe would like said music that would be on said playlist. Thoughts?

I just figured, everyone generally likes my music suggestions, and unless everyone has been lying to me, I would like to share music that I enjoy with everyone else.



I need to go make a video. A short video. But a video nonetheless.







Song of the Day: "A House Grown With Ivy" by Let's Lumos! Thank you Kristina Horner for tweeting about them. They've already been a huge inspiration to me.

Film of the Day: Zombieland (2009). I am aware that this has previously been on of my films of the day, but it is now in the two dollar theatre on flood street, therefore it is once again worthy of being mentioned because it is AWESOME. Seriously though, if you haven't seen this yet and it's playing near you...GO. If you're Mormon, or else just aren't a huge R-rated movie goer, then I guess don't go see it, but there are only a few words of bad language and really fake blood.

Wizard Rock: My New Favorite Thing

This is an explanation of my new found love of wizard rock (wrock) music:
First I found Brotherhood 2.0. Then I found Five Awesome Girls. Then I found wizard rock music.
At first, I was sceptical. Thinking, "yeah, I love Harry Potter, but wizard rock? Really?" NEVER judge a book by it's cover. For some reason unknown to me, I was automatically hooked when I listened to The Parselmouths. Then the Moaning Myrtles. Then I remembered that I've actually seen The Remus Lupins at Warped Tour several years ago in Ventura. And I remember them being awesome.
More than anything, I love the togetherness of the wrock community. I love the dedication and the happiness that I see people get from participated in something so great. Wizard rock has truly changed my life in some ways, though I know that might sound weird. For those of you who know me, I know you think I'm a little insane when I tell you I like this music and want to be involved with it. It just kind of fits into my life perfectly, like a little piece of something that I've been missing.

Anyway, my brother Mikie and I decided we were going to start a wizard rock band. The only problem was that he doesn't play an instrument, and I don't play my instruments as well as a lot of other people. But I love to write, and I have a huge passion for playing my guitar and writing songs, so I figured we could just work with what we had. Lately, though, this little project we set out to do has become a one-man-band sort of deal. Mikie has kind of moved on, not maintaining the same enthusiasm for this as I have. Which is funny because I'm four years older than he is, thus, the more mature, so you'd think I would have moved past this as well. Alas, it is not so.

While choosing our band name, we were looking through all the other wrock band names on Wizrocklopedia, seeing what was taken already. Mikie came up with a list of possibilities before I did and showed them to me. One of them was "Fountains of Fair Fortune", from the The Tales of Beedle the Bard. I read it aloud as "Foundation of Fair Fortune".
We ended up really liking that, therefore, we decided to call ourselves Foundation of Fair Fortune. Well. I call myself that since he's somewhat out of the picture.

I've been writing a lot for the last few weeks, wrock songs and non-wrock songs alike. But mostly wrock songs. I want to keep writing more because I'd like to get some recording equipment and record a first album sometime next year. For now, I'll get some acoustic rough versions of them up on YouTube, the first of which is Magic By the Lake, as of an hour ago.


I love doing this. And I hope I get support from my friends and family to continue doing it, even though it's not necessarily the norm. But then again...so what if it's not?

This Is One Insane Labyrinth

Somehow, Tyler let my mom know that I don't write him enough. Well sorryyy. It's not like I'll know if you don't tell me. So I guess I'll write him tomorrow.

I took my paper over to my grandpa's house today for him to read. When he finished he said that he never realized how much I liked writing, and he enjoyed reading it. Coming from him...that was pretty cool. Tyler was/is generally the grand kid of the family to share his talents with everyone than I am so everyone is always so surprised when they find out I'm good at something that I've loved doing for years.

Today was chaotic, just as I thought it would be. Running errands, getting projects and assignments done on time while skipping French class, etc. But really, French class is always the one thing that seems to be in my way of every other thing in my life. Maybe I'm over exaggerating. Maybe not.

I heard Ingrid Michaelson on the radio today. It made me happy.
I also witnessed an old man rear-end some one at the corner of 900 and River. The fact that this is the only accident I've seen happen the entire time that I've lived here baffles me. Everyone here is a horrible driver, there should be more of these things going on every 20 minutes.

I'm so excited to go to California this Christmas, even if it's only for 5 days. I wish I could go to San Diego while I'm there, but I don't see that happening. Regardless, it should be a great trip. I'm mostly excited to reconnect with people that I haven't seen since the summer, including, but not limited to, Ventura 5th Ward. Ruben will have already gone to the MTC in Provo on the 12th, but I don't think anyone has gotten a mission call since I've been gone.

I took my brothers to see Fantastic Mr. Fox today. AWESOME. Yeah, that's basically it.
I very much recommend it.

I've been trying this new thing where I go to bed before midnight. It's not working yet, but there is still hope. So good night.
And later days.


Song of the Day: "You and I" by Ingrid Michaelson. One of my favorites of hers, though there are many.
Book of the Day: Looking For Alaska by John Green. I'm not feeling the films today. And this book (and all of John Green's books) changed my life. And apparently it has already been a banned book from some high school in...New York, I think it was. Anyway, like I was saying, John Green is a genius. I don't know how much more I can do to emphasize that point.